This invention relates to an IV rack. The rack is generally of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,122 and copending application Ser. No. 07/524,038, filed May 16, 1990 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,117,521, both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
In critical care situations, an IV rack of the type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,795,122 is used in order to supply the patient with the multiple fluids that may be required as dictated by the patient's condition. Such fluids include heparin, nitroglycerin, antibiotics, nutrients and the like. In extreme situations, such as those involving burn patients, as many as twelve to fifteen IV infusions with twelve to fifteen pumps may be required.
Each pump is connected to an electrical outlet that provides 110 volts to drive the pumps. The pump housing contains a DC power supply that is utilized to keep the pump operating when the 110 volt AC power supply is disconnected, as, for example, when a patient is transferred from his hospital room to another location in the hospital for diagnosis or treatment.
The current hardware and practices suffer major disadvantages. The multiple conductors connecting the pumps to 110 volt AC outlets add to the general untidiness and complexity of the equipment surrounding the patient. Further, the DC power supply that is mounted in each pump housing substantially doubles the required size of the power supply and pump combination and greatly increases the weight of the combination. All of this in turn provides a practical limit for the number of pumps and power supplies to be mounted on an IV rack which must be transported with the patient from time to time.